4
U-Abhrahama Walungiswa Ngokukholwa
1 Pho sizakuthi kuyini u-Abhrahama, ukhokho wethu, akufumanayo ngokwenyama kule indaba na? 2 Nxa, ngempela, u-Abhrahama walungisiswa ngemisebenzi, wayelakho okokuzincoma ngakho, kodwa hatshi phambi kukaNkulunkulu. 3 Kanje umbhalo uthini na? Uthi, “U-Abhrahama wakholwa uNkulunkulu, njalo kwabalwa kuye njengokulunga.”*
4 Nxa umuntu esebenza, umholo wakhe kawubalwa kuye njengesipho, kodwa njengomlandu. 5 Ikanti emuntwini ongasebenziyo kodwa ethemba uNkulunkulu owenza ababi balunge, ukukholwa kwakhe kubalwa njengokulunga. 6 UDavida utsho okufanayo lapho ekhuluma ngokubusiseka komuntu uNkulunkulu ambalela ukulunga ngaphandle kwemisebenzi, esithi:
7 “Babusisiwe labo
oziphambeko zabo zithethelelwe,
ozono zabo zisibekelwe.
8 Ubusisiwe lowo
ongasoze abalelwe isono sakhe yiNkosi.”†
9 Ukubusiseka lokhu ngokwabasokileyo kuphela, kumbe njalo lakwabangasokanga na? Kade sisithi ukukholwa kuka-Abhrahama kwabalwa kuye njengokulunga. 10 Kwabalelwa kusiphi isimo na? Kwakungemva kokuba esesokile, loba ngaphambilini na? 11 Wamukela isibonakaliso sokusoka, uphawu lokulunga abalalo ngokulunga engakasoki. Ngakho-ke, unguyise wabo bonke abakholwayo, kodwa bengasokanga, ukuze ukulunga kubalelwe kubo. 12 Njalo unguyise wabasokileyo futhi, abangasokanga nje kuphela, kodwa abahamba ezinyathelweni zokholo ubaba u-Abhrahama ayelalo engakasoki.
13 Akuzanga ngomthetho ukuthi u-Abhrahama lenzalo yakhe amukele isithembiso sokuthi uzakuba yindlalifa yomhlaba, kodwa kweza ngokulunga okuza ngokukholwa. 14 Ngoba nxa labo abaphila ngomthetho bezindlalifa, ukukholwa kakulasizo lesithembiso siyize, 15 ngoba umthetho uletha ulaka. Njalo lapho okungelamthetho khona akukho ukona.
16 Ngakho, isithembiso siza ngokukholwa, ukuze sifike ngomusa njalo siqiniseke kuyo yonke inzalo ka-Abhrahama, hatshi kulabo abangabomthetho kuphela, kodwa njalo lakulabo abangabokholo luka-Abhrahama. Ungubaba wethu sonke. 17 Njengoba kulotshiwe ukuthi, “Sengikwenze waba nguyise wezizwe ezinengi.”‡ Ungubaba emehlweni kaNkulunkulu akholwa kuye, yena onika abafileyo ukuphila njalo enze izinto ebezingekho zibe khona.
18 Kungekho themba, u-Abhrahama ngethemba wakholwa waba nguyise wezizwe ezinengi, njengoba kwakutshiwo kuye ukuthi, “Izakuba njalo inzalo yakho.”§ 19 Engekethisanga ekukholweni kwakhe, wamelana lobuqotho bokuthi umzimba wakhe wawusufana lofileyo, njengoba wayeseleminyaka ephosa ibe likhulu ubudala kanye lokuthi isibeletho sikaSara laso sasesifile. 20 Waqiniswa ekukholweni kwakhe, wapha udumo kuNkulunkulu, 21 ekholwe ngokupheleleyo ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayelamandla okwenza lokho ayekuthembisile. 22 Yikho-nje “kwabalelwa kuye njengokulunga.”* 23 Amazwi athi “kwabalelwa kuye” kawalotshelwanga yena yedwa, 24 kodwa lathi futhi, uNkulunkulu azabalela ukulunga kwethu, thina esikholwa kuye, yena owavusa uJesu iNkosi yethu kwabafileyo. 25 Wanikelwa ekufeni ngenxa yezono zethu njalo wavuselwa ekuphileni ukuze silungisiswe.
* 4:3 UGenesisi 15.6 † 4:8 AmaHubo 32.1-2 ‡ 4:17 UGenesisi 17.5 § 4:18 UGenesisi 15.5 * 4:22 UGenesisi 15.6